Likes:

Talking – right now this consists of cooing and making gargling noises

Smiling

Laughing – we got a little laugh out of her and it was so precious ❤

Eating

Having a clean diaper

Watching Rylie

Kicking her legs

Playing on her playmat

Sitting upright

Dislikes:

Being patted too hard by Rylie

Being hungry

Having a dirty diaper

Food:

Emmaline eats a lot! I like to say we have her on a loose feeding schedule because although we know what time she’ll roughly need to eat, we always allow leniency if she still seems hungry to give her more than the average amount. She grew past only eating 4oz pretty quickly, so our average is 5oz a feeding (unless she still seems hungry of course, then we heat up an additional 2 – 3oz).

When she was 2 1/2 months old, we were forced to give her her first bottle of formula.

Now, let me be quick to say I have nothing against formula – Rylie was an exclusively formula fed baby from 6 months – 12 months – but I had high expectations of myself to be able to nurse longer this round because I felt like I knew what I was doing better than I did with Rylie and I was taking good care of myself (drinking water + eating regular meals) in addition to pumping regularly so I knew exactly how much she was getting. Well, with her large appetite, she went through my freezer stash quickly and it became evident that what I had pumped that day wasn’t going to hold her over, so we broke out a formula container and made her a bottle.

Our motto when it comes to food though is: happy & healthy. And if they’re fed and full, they’re healthy & happy!

Sleep:

Emmaline’s awake time has stretched significantly and she is awake a good amount of the day now, which is a lot of fun. On June 13th – EMMALINE SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT!!!! **praise hands!!!** if you are a parent, you know that this is probably one of your proudest moments. There’s nothing like going to sleep and waking up when the sun is peaking through your windows and realizing your little one stayed asleep all night long. So exciting! 😀

She needs a full belly, so we give her 4 – 5 ounces right before bed. We also swaddle her in a zip-up which is a game-changer! We also have to set her on the boppy because she likes to feel like she’s being held. There is definitely a system but we are all about it if it’ll help her (and us) sleep 😀

Life:

Before the girls were born, I got a baby calendar where I could mark big milestones and/or take notes of special things they did that day. Well, Saturday (6.16.18) morning I was updating it and because Rylie was still asleep, I left it on the couch so I would remember to put it back in her room when she was up. While, as I was pumping and checking my phone to confirm some details for Rylie’s friend Sarah’s birthday party, I looked up and saw that Rylie was holding a Sharpie and proudly marking Emmaline’s calendar.

I gasped so loudly it made Aaron look at me and I said, “nooooo Rylie!” in a shocked and bummed voice. Aaron quickly took the Sharpie from her and she walked away. Y’all, I cried. Aaron was giggling but offered we could purchase a new one. “I don’t even know why I’m crying!” I smirked as I wiped away tears, “I kinda think it’s funny. But where on earth did she even get a Sharpie?” <– can I just add I feel like I’ve asked that question a lot lately – “where did she get blah blah blah!?”

Anyway, I’ve decided to keep the calendar as is and just make a note on the side that explains that Rylie just wanted to draw a picture for Emmaline… I really do think it’s hilarious, once I got past the shock haha!

Emmaline is continually hitting new milestones. Her latest joys are kicking her legs and playing with the toys on her playmat. She smiles often and is working on discovering her voice.

Rylie, per usual, is obsessed with Sister! We have learned the hard way that it is not okay for them to be separate for any reason. Kisses are given multiple times within a minute and we love holding hands (well, Rylie holding Emmaline’s wrist). If we’re sitting on the couch, Emmaline has to be right next to Rylie. Unlike last month, Emmaline smiles more often when Rylie kisses her or tries to play with her, so that’s a bonus! 🙂

Although it seems inconvenient at times or an invasion of personal space, I prayed for the relationship that Rylie and Emmaline have. I pray that as they get older, their bond deepens and they truly become best friends. I’ll do pretty much anything to help cultivate that relationship!

Me:

I am soaking up pretty much every moment I can to kiss those chubby cheeks, hold her close to my chest, and kiss her some more. I’m quickly realizing that time is going by so quickly and she will not be this little for long, so I’m soaking up every moment I can.

I feel like Aaron and I took huge strides forward this month because we’ve been able to predict certain things and/or know what to do to console her.

I’ve also been a little day-dreamy lately about her when she’s older and what kind of unique relationship her and I will get to have. If these last 3 months have taught me anything, it’s that every child is different, and even though it is hard when they are babies, it really is such a blessing! It’s fun for me to know that my relationship with her will be different than it is with Rylie. Don’t get me wrong though, I am perfectly happy drowning in babiness right now 😛